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“Tomorrow,” Clavis declared.
I stared at him for a moment, as confused as everybody else gathered around the table for dinner. He was looking at me as if I should know what he was talking about. I stared at him for a moment, as confused as everybody else gathered around the table for dinner. He was looking at me as if I should know what he was talking about. I didn’t, but I recognized the danger in those glittering golden eyes and that bright smile, as did his brothers and the foreign princes, who exchanged wary glances.
“What is tomorrow?” I asked carefully.
“Why, our grand scheme of epic proportions, of course!”
I knew I should have eaten in my room.
“Don’t we have enough trouble right now without one of your schemes?” Yves moaned, a sentiment echoed by the crowd. And they didn’t even know what scheme Clavis had in mind.
I, unfortunately, did.
“You said that wouldn’t happen for a few months,” I reminded Clavis. “And I really think this isn’t the best time.”
“Nonsense. Now is the best time! You really need to learn to be more flexible, Ivetta. With an opportunity like this—”
“What about the mechanism you said you had to perfect?”
His smile widened. “I lied. So, tomorrow morning—”
“No.”
“But—”
“No.”
“Give me one good reason.”
“I could give you many more than that, but I assume you don't want me announcing your plans to everybody.”
Nokto gave me a chagrined smile. “Nice try, Ivetta, but there’s no derailing Clavis when he gets going.”
“Maybe I won’t wait until tomorrow morning to leave,” Silvio muttered under his breath.
“But how bad could it be this time if Ivetta’s involved?” Keith wondered. “I mean, she wouldn’t let him get too crazy, would she?”
If only they knew.
The final diagram in Clavis’ poorly drawn plan depicted Jin and Theresa hanging upside-down from a tree, bound and tethered together. To be fair, it would be funny. Very funny. But neither Jin nor Leon was talking to Theresa yet, and her avoidance of them told me they still hadn’t resolved things from her break-up with Leon. Forcing Leon’s brother and former lover together at the same time that Rhodolite discovered Leon’s biggest secret seemed like a terrible idea.
Although Clavis clearly didn’t agree.
“When have my plans ever been bad?” he defended, feigning injury. “I always have the best interest of others at heart.”
“Like when you used Ivetta as bait and tried to kill Chevalier?” Licht asked dryly.
Clavis’ face fell. “I didn’t say whose best interests.”
“Nobody is supposed to die or get hurt this time,” I reassured all gathered as I shot Clavis a pointed look. “But it isn’t happening tomorrow, anyway, so nobody has to worry about it, either.”
He ignored my glare, of course, and happily proceeded. “Cyran will be in his position at ten o’clock, which means—”
“Ya sure ya wanna give away the time?” A forkful of food hovered in front of Luke’s mouth as he frowned at Clavis. “What if we jus’ avoid ya, Cyran, an’ Ivetta then?”
Leon shook his head. “That’s part of the plan. He only lets something slip if he wants people to know. We try to avoid him at ten o’clock, and then it turns out he set a trap on the opposite side of the palace at eleven o’clock. He’s done it before.”
“Or is that just what he wants us to think he wants?” Jin interjected. “You need to get into his head to know what he’s up to.”
“I’d prefer to stay out of his head and remain sane, thank you very much,” Yves grumbled.
Nokto’s earlier statement was right, I thought as the debate continued. There was no derailing Clavis, and I knew from the look of childish delight on his face he really believed this was the best time for his matchmaking scheme. Pointing out the negatives wouldn’t change his mind. I had to offer him an alternative, something he would like even better than his current plan.
“Clavis, three words,” I finally said.
The table fell silent. He smiled at me like a cat who had caught a mouse. Or a leopard who had caught a dove, in this case.
Or so he thought.
I said each word slowly, enunciating each syllable. “Foundation Day festival.”
His smile shrunk, and his golden eyes widened slightly. I had his attention. Now, to drive the point home with language as exuberant and flowery as everything that came out of his mouth.
“Wouldn’t that be the best way to celebrate such an auspicious occasion?”
He beamed at me and nodded. “You’re quite right, Ivetta. Foundation Day festival, it is!”
I let out a sigh of relief and slumped in my chair. Getting into Clavis' head was not easy. At least I had a week to consider how to dissuade him next time.
Across the table, Silvio stared at me as if I had grown an extra head. “How did you do that?”
“Chevalier put the ban on Clavis pranking her a long time ago, so Clavis has been using her as his unwilling partner-in-crime instead,” Nokto explained. “She knows how his mind works.”
“Makes sense.” Keith nodded.
I straightened in my seat again. “I didn’t know Chevalier did that.”
Gilbert chuckled. “You never wondered why Clavis hasn’t dropped you in a pit trap or caught you in a net yet?”
“Well, yes,” I admitted, “but I thought he was just being nice.”
Luke snorted with laughter and choked on a mouthful of food. Leon pounded on his back as his younger brother hunched over his plate, coughing. Nobody else seemed concerned about Luke’s state.
“To Clavis, pranking someone is being nice,” Jin explained calmly. “The more he likes you, the more he pranks you.”
“Aw, did you hear that, Evie?” Nokto leaned toward Yves, smirking. “Clavis loves you.”
Yves met Nokto’s teasing crimson eyes with a hard blue glare. “Stop calling me that! And Clavis—” He stopped, his lips moving silently and his cheeks reddening as he scrambled for words. “St-stop—loving me so much!”
I laughed along with the rest, and suddenly, I was glad I’d braved another meal with the princes. This was just what I needed after spending the past few hours playing the part of a gracious hostess. No meaningless small talk; no fake smiles; no empty compliments. I didn’t need to worry about my image or the social implications of this conversation. I could just relax and enjoy it.
Mostly. Chevalier wasn’t here.
From what I gathered, he’d spent his afternoon conferring with Sariel, convening an impromptu meeting of the court ministers, calling the foreign princes into his office to disclose the situation privately, writing the official proclamation that would announce Leon’s secret to Rhodolite, and probably more. Preparing for the worst, planning for the best. But no amount of preparation could stop this from shaking the kingdom. Leon and the royal family were in for a rough time, and there was no way of telling how long the unrest would last. I just hoped everything would blow over quickly.
I looked around the table at the smiling faces. Chevalier was still working, but his brothers were here, talking and having fun. He’d probably shooed them from his office with some excuse about them bothering him, all so they could relax and have fun before the storm hit. I wondered if any of them realized that.
Did he really have to work late tonight? Why couldn’t it wait until the morning, whatever it was that had him tied up?
He at least needed to eat. I began dishing another helping of food onto my empty plate.
“Is that for Chevalier?” Gilbert asked.
His blood-red eye showed nothing more than curiosity, but the thought crossed my mind that this might bother him. He’d hidden all traces of jealousy since our conversation after the round table meeting, though, and he hadn’t been obvious about it before, so I wasn’t sure.
I kept my reply nonchalant. “Yes, it is. He already skipped lunch today; he doesn’t need to skip dinner, too.”
Leon laughed. “Ivetta, he’s missed meals before and survived.”
I shrugged. “I know. But he doesn’t have to miss this one.”
“You’re spoiling him,” Jin remarked, his burgundy eyes narrowing and crinkling at the corners with his smile.
“That’s the plan,” I said brightly as I stood. “Well, goodnight, everyone.”
“Wait. Aren’t you gonna bake tonight?” Luke’s leaf-green eyes were suddenly pleading, putting all of his boyish charm into looking at me like a pitiful overgrown man-child. “Yves is baking.”
I paused with my hand on the doorknob, impervious to his charms thanks to years of babysitting experience. “No, I had a late night last night, so I’m going to bed early. But I’ll see if Chevalier wants to join you. Goodnight again.”
I didn’t wait for a response before I left, knowing the table would split between teasing me about what I meant by a ‘late night’ and begging me to bake. Three meals with this bunch were enough for me today, and without Belle or Arianna, the party in the kitchen would undoubtedly get rowdy. I wasn’t up for it tonight.
But after a long, stressful day, it might be just the thing for Chevalier.
I got a few strange looks as I traversed the halls with a plate of food in my hands, but nobody said a word. A single glance over my shoulder at the guards following in my wake was enough to silence most who took offense to things I said and did. And if that didn’t do the trick, the mention of Chevalier’s name did.
People didn’t know what a softie he really was.
I reached his office door and knocked, waiting for his invitation before entering. If walking into his office unannounced as his maid upset him, doing it now as his wife would, even more so. He had more reason than ever to want to protect me from hearing or seeing something that could be used against me.
“Come in.”
He sat bent over his desk with several sheets of parchment scattered in front of him, quill in hand, poised above a page. His pale blue eyes met mine and slid to the plate of food, and he sat up straighter in his chair, setting the quill aside and clearing a space on his desk.
“I brought you dinner,” I explained unnecessarily as I rounded the desk to set the plate in front of him. “Are you still working on the proclamation?”
He nodded. “I’m having trouble wording it correctly.”
“That isn’t like you.” I studied him, looking for signs of weariness on his face. The shadows from the sun at his back made the search difficult. “Maybe you should take a break.”
He turned in his chair to face me, making the slight uptick of the left corner of his lips obvious. “And do what?”
“Eat.” I felt a smile tugging at my lips as a spark returned to his tired blue eyes. “Unless you need help with that, too?”
He pulled his black leather gloves off, slowly and deliberately, one finger at a time, awakening a flurry of butterflies in my stomach. I suddenly noticed how kissable his lips looked. When was the last time I kissed him? Breakfast?
Too long.
I licked my lips, waiting for him to finish. The moment he tossed his gloves aside, I lowered myself onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Mind if I sit here?”
“Not at all.”
We moved together, meeting halfway for a kiss as refreshing as a glass of cool water on a hot summer day. He held me steady with one arm around my waist and a hand on the outside of my thigh, and I shifted closer, letting my hands rest on either side of his neck as we kissed again. Neither of us pressed for anything deeper or more intense than a series of soft, chaste kisses, and both of us pulled back at the same time. He was as tired as I was. But his warmth lingered on my lips, and a taste was enough for now.
“You really should eat something.” I brushed his blonde bangs back from his face, wishing I had more time to savor the feel of the fine strands running through my fingers. “And while you do, I can read what you have and see if I have any ideas.”
He turned the chair back to the desk and scooted closer. I reached out for his plate of food and handed it to him, and then I picked up the pages on his desk. Silence fell, broken only by the light clinking of silverware and the shuffling of paper.
He had such beautiful handwriting. Page after page of it, trying a phrase here, leaving it out there, including this detail in this version, cutting it out in that one. He really was having trouble. But as complicated as this issue was, I had to believe the biggest problem was his exhaustion after getting me through a night of nightmares. It wasn’t just the lack of sleep. It was the mental and emotional stress that had the greatest impact.
On both of us.
I dropped the stack of papers on the desk and rested my head on his shoulder.
“Well, you’re better at using official terminology than I am, but I think I can help.”
He set his plate down and leaned back in his chair, restoring his hands to my waist and my thigh. “Go on.”
“The Leon we know isn’t responsible for the actions of the original Leon’s mother. Impersonating a prince is technically treason, but the court can't hold a child accountable for that. Saying something to that effect, and that you officially pardon Leon of the crime the original Leon's mother forced him into, should be enough to clear his name, I would think. You don’t have to say anything about his origin, just that she found him as a replacement for her dying child. Nobody has to know the rest unless he wants to tell them himself. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to point out some of his good qualities, such as how he distinguished himself on the battlefield on Bloodstained Rose Day, and some things he’s accomplished on behalf of Rhodolite as the leader of the domestic affairs faction, just to remind people of what an asset he is to Rhodolite. And I know your signature is the most important, but if the rest of your brothers signed it, too, that would emphasize the fact this is a unanimous decision made by the royal family.”
Chevalier slid his fingers under my cheek and coaxed my face up to his for a warm kiss.
“You are quite skilled at this.”
“I just know how to tell people what they want to hear.” I rested my forehead against his. “And I also know you don’t have to finish this tonight. Yves is baking tonight. Why don’t you join everybody in the kitchen?”
His thumb brushed across my cheek in light, rhythmic strokes. “What about you?”
“I’ve had a long day of telling people what they want to hear, and I’m going to bed. But you have been cooped up in here all day, and you should go unwind with your brothers.” I kissed him again and pushed off from his chest to stand. “So, goodnight, and have fun.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
He grabbed my hand and yanked me back onto his lap, kissing me before I registered more than the return of his smirk. This time, his fingers dug into my waist as he pulled me closer, and his tongue swiped across my lips immediately, asking for more. And this time, I was in as much agreement as before. I closed my eyes and let him work his magic, my thoughts disappearing like vapor as his heated kisses continued. His hand rubbed slowly up and down my thigh; my fingers curled into his jacket; a moan slipped from my lips into the air…
And then the door flew open.
“Hey, Chev—oh.”
We separated and turned in unison toward the open door, where Clavis and Nokto stood frozen with wide eyes. My flushed cheeks burned even hotter. I buried my face in the crook of Chevalier’s neck, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible in the safety of his embrace.
“Now that’s a kiss,” Clavis commented.
“Have you seen enough?”
Chevalier’s voice was hard and frigid, but I felt the heat radiating from him as his arm tightened around my waist. I waited, holding my breath during the brief and yet interminable pause.
“Plenty. We’ll just leave you to it,” Nokto said.
The door closed, and I let out a sigh of relief as I let myself relax again. Chevalier’s grip loosened.
“You are too easily embarrassed,” he remarked, amusement replacing the former chill in his voice. He pressed a light kiss to the top of my head, and I squirmed with embarrassment.
“Well, I like this part of our relationship to be private,” I mumbled, my reply muffled by his skin.
He chuckled. “Agreed. Your guards must have left.”
“I didn’t think to tell them to wait for me.” I peeked up at him shyly. “They must have assumed we’d go back to our room together.”
“Do you want to go?”
I was torn. Part of me wanted to stay and pick up where we left off, but another part of me was tired. Dead tired. Clavis and Nokto’s interruption had reminded me of that.
"Let's go," he said, prompting me to leave the warmth of his lap.
“Chevalier, I really am tired, and I really think you should join your brothers. It won’t hurt anything for me to walk back by myself for once.”
He pocketed his gloves and took my hand. “Would you rather I carry you?”
I sighed. Of course he wouldn’t let me walk back alone. “Honestly, if there wasn’t a chance of us running into anybody, yes.”
He chuckled again as he led me out into the hallway, where we nearly collided with Luke. His younger brother’s face split into that wide, boyish smile as he looked from Chevalier to me and back again.
“Well, I was gonna come tell ya we were havin’ a party in the kitchen, but seems like you’re busy.”
“Lock up the office,” Chevalier replied coolly.
He led me past Luke without another word, and I kept quiet, more concerned with what Chevalier had in mind when we reached our room than trying to save face in front of Luke. There was nothing I could say that would alleviate my embarrassment, anyway. But sending Chevalier away with one last goodnight kiss and a firm ‘no’ might be difficult. If I gave him even the slightest hint of interest, he might press the issue. And he could be very persuasive.
I touched the dove necklace on my chest, resting directly over the hidden love mark he’d left before the nightmares began. Very persuasive.
I hadn’t decided by the time we reached our room, where my guards were conspicuously absent from their post outside the door. But of course they weren’t there. Once Chevalier and I finished work for the day, we usually spent the rest of the evening together, and I didn’t need them until morning.
This would make it harder to convince Chevalier to leave me here and join his brothers. If I wanted that.
But the door was unlocked, and when we entered the room, I heard water running in the bathroom.
“Theresa?” I called.
She popped her smiling face out of the bathroom. “Oh, I thought he was working late, so I figured I’d draw you a hot bubble bath.” Her eyes dropped to our intertwined hands, and her green eyes sparkled. “Although I guess you can both enjoy it.”
“Theresa!”
“Lock the door when you’re done here,” Chevalier instructed her, unaffected by her mortifying innuendo. “I’ll be back later.”
I looked up at him, surprised. He caught my chin in his long fingers and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.
“Chevalier,” I whispered, glancing over at Theresa. My face had to be flaming red at this point.
He just smiled, a fond smile that made my heart feel fuzzy. “Don’t wait up.”
Then he released my hand and left me with Theresa and no guards. Without me even having to convince him—or myself—that this was the best course of action.
Theresa erupted into squealing. “I didn’t know he could smile like that!”
I couldn’t meet her eyes, but I couldn’t hide my smile, either. “There are a lot of things about him you don’t know."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNhresueut
